Device for treatment of the muscles of the upper torso



Dec. 8, 1953 w. J. BROWN ER DEVICE FOR TREATMENT OF THE MUSCLES OF THEUPPER TORSO Filed May 9, 1950 l w V mpM w/a/AIM seam/5e,

IN V EN TOR.

% afmewey Patented Dec. 8, 1953 DEVICE FOR TREATMENT OF THE MUSCLES OFTHE UPPER TORSO v 4 OFFICE William J. Browner, 'San- Francisco,-Galif.," assignor to Relaxacizor, 1110., Los Angeles, Calif., acorporation of California Application May 9, 1950, Serial No. 160,936

My invention relates to method and means for improving posture and foraccomplishing a number of other valuable results which will behereinafter explained, and relates in particular to a method andapparatus for application to selected parts of the body contracturalcurrent which will act to effect a sequential contraction of muscles.

It is an object of the invention to provide a method and means forimprovement of posture by reducing spinal curvature and lifting andenlarging the thorax by the lifting of the anterior portions of ribswhich slope downwardly and forwardly.

An important accomplishment of the present invention is derived from theimprovement in oxygenation by increasing the size of. the thoraciccavity and training the user of the device in better and deeperbreathing habits so that there is an increase in oxygen intake andaccordingly improved metabolism from greater oxygenation of the bloodstream. I

"It is an object of the invention to provide for cooperation withsources of contractural current, means for applying contracturalcurrents to nerve centers or nerves of specified muscles, and theinvention further embraces a method wherein contractural currents ofregulated strengths are applied to the nerves of selected muscles,thereby producing an ordered and rhythmic contraction of the selectedmuscles,

3 Claims. (Cl. 128-379) thereby accomplishing the desired resultshereinbefore specified.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple means forapplying contractural currents of adjusted intensity to the motor nervesystems of the muscles latissimus dorsi, infra spinatus, trapezius andpectora'lis major.

A further object of the invention is to provide a jacket of stretchablematerial having therein electrodes and/or pads for engaging specifiedsurface areas of the skin to accomplish excitation by contracturalcurrents of muscles which will act to reduce kyphosis of the dorsalregion of the spine, rearwardly flex the shoulders and lift the thoraciccage.

Further objects and advantages of the invention may be brought out inthe following part of the specification, wherein I have described forpurpose of disclosure a preferred embodiment of my invention, withoutlimiting the scope of the invention set forth in the accompanyingclaims.

Referring to the drawings which are for illustrative purposes only,

' Fig. 1 is a view showing apparatus, for pracportions extendprincipally across major.

vertically elongated electrode or tice of my invention, connected to theback or a patient;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary face view supplementingFig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a face view, to enlarged scale, showing the jacket disclosedin Figs. 1 and 2; and

Fig. 4 is a section taken as indicated by the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

In the preferred form of my invention disclosed in Figs. 1 and"2,I'provide a harness or jacket l0 formed of flexible, elastic material,

such as a rubber compound, so formed thatit will fit snugly upon thedorsal-thoracic region of the human body; This jacket 10, as furthershown in Fig. 3, includes a central or spinal section ll, shouldersections I2, lower back sections 13, and pectoral sections I4 which arespaced from the spinal section II andconnect the distal portions of theshoulder and lower back sections 12 and IS. The portions ll, l2, l3 andM are cut from a continuous rubber sheet l5, and openings [6 exist onopposite sides of the central portion H, through which the arms of thepatient extend when the jacket I0 is donned as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.-

When the jacket I0 is upon the person of the wearer, the shoulderportions l2 extend over the lateral portions of, the trapezius muscle,connecting the cervicaland upper dorsal vertebrae withthe spine of thescapula and with 'theaeromium and. the lateral third of the clavicle;The lower back portions [3 extend across the lower posterior portionofthe thoracic cage and along the lowerportionof :the axilla. Thepectoral the pectoralis 7 To the inner face'of the central portion II, a

Pad I8 is secured, this pad being referred to as the middle trapeziuspad 18 for the reason that it is intermediate region of the origin ofthe trapezius muscles along the spinous processes of the mid- "dledorsal region. The lower part of the central section II is widened, anda laterally elongated pad 19 iss'ecured thereto so as to engage ,theinferior or lower portion of the trapezius muscles where they areattachedto the spinous processes of the lower dorsal vertebrae, thelateral portions of this pad I9 extending over the portions of thelatissimus dorsi muscles which make their appearance at the margins ofthe lower trapezius muscles- This pad I 9 may be referred to as thelower trapezius and/or the upper latissimus dorsi electrode.

Upper trapezius electrodes or pads 2| are secured to the shoulderportions l2 of the jacket l0, these pads 2| being preferably made of acotton felt so that they will retain water. The pads 2| are shown ascircular, but they may be of other outline, the principal requirementsconcerning these pads 2| being their support so as to engage thedivisions of the trapezius muscle which extend between the spinousprocesses and acromium, the scapula, and at least a part of the fiberswhich extend to the outer portion of the clavicle. The pads 2| arereferred to as the upper trapezius pads. In Fig. 3 these pads 2| aredisposed laterally on opposite sides of the upper portion of the pad l8,but when the jacket or harness is placed upon the patient as shown inFig. 1, the pads 2| are shifted upwardly so as to lie more upon theshoulders.

Electrodes or pads 23 are secured to the lower back portions l3 of thejacket H1 in positions to lie externally of the fibers of the latissimusdorsi muscle which slope upwardly and outwardly from the posterior layerof the lumbo-dorsal fascia. These pads are referred to as the lowerlatissimus dorsi and/or infra spinatus pads. Pads 24 are secured to thepectoral portions ll of the jacket H! in positions to lie over thepectoralis major adjacent the axilla.

It will be understood that in the preferred practice of the inventionthe pads |8, |9, 2|, 23 and 24 are made from a cotton felt or othersimilar fibrous material capable of holding water. Between each of thesepads and the adjacent rubber wall of the jacket HI, there are electrodeplates 25 of Phosphor bronze or stainless steel, with connectors 21extending from these plates through openings in the rubber wall ii ofthe jacket 10, for connection to wires which extend, as shown in Fig. l,to a generator 28 of contractural current. This generator 2 3 is of thetype disclosed in my application, Serial No. 116,552, filed September19, 1949, for Method and Means for Electrical Therapy. It includes anelectronic oscillator 29 with an associated impulse timer 30, and

with transformer means 31 adapted to'feed separate circuits 32, 33, 34and 35. A characteristic of this transformer means-3| is thata singleprimary winding 36 produces a magnetic field for permeating the separatetransformer cores 3'1, each having wound thereon a separate secondarywinding 38. For regulating the strengths of the separate contracturalcurrents flowing in the circuits 32, 33, 34 and 35, rheostats 40 areprovided. Connected as shown in Fig. 1, the circuit 32 includes theupper trapezius pads or connections 2| and the intervening tissues ofthe trapezius muscles, the circuit 33 includes the pads 23 and theintervening musculature, the circuit 34 includes the pads l8'and l9 andthe intervening bodily tissues, and the circ 't 35 includes thepectoralis major pads 24 which are schematically shown in Fig. l and inFig. 2 are shown in their proper relation to the pectoralis majormuscles.

'It is possible by use of the rheostats 40 to adjust the flows ofcontractural currents through each of these circuits so that the motornervous systems of the respective muscles will be energized to therequired extent or in such relation that there will first be acontraction of the trapezius, latissimus dorsi and infra spinatusmuscles to reduce kyphosis, energization of the upper sections of thetrapezius muscles to flex the shoulders posteriorly and upwardly and tolift the anterior portion of the thoracic cage. Simultaneouslytherewith, or closely following the foregoing muscular action, therewill be an energization of the pectoralis major muscles which will actto lift the breast and also to lift the anterior portions of the ribs,thereby expanding the chest and moving the sternum forwardly withrespect to the dorsal section of the spine. The action of the device isto produce passive exercise of muscles associated with the upper backand chest, producing valuable results, including more erect posture,expansion of the chest, improved breathing habits, increasedoxygenation, and improvement in the tone and health of those tissuesforming or located upon the anterior wall of the thoracic cage.

The upper trapezius pads 2| and the dorsalis major pads :24 may be usedsimultaneously, but this is not necessary. For example, if thecontractile currentgenerator 28 has only three outlets instead of four,as shown, a number of treatments may be given without electrification ofthe pads 24, then, for the succeeding treatment, the conductors of thecircuit 32 may be transferred from their connection with the pads 2| tothe pads 24.

I claim as my invention:

1. .A device of the character described, comprising: a jacket of sheetrubbery material com prising a central spinal section, upper and lowerlaterally extending sections connected to the upper and lower portionsof said central section, and pectoral sections connecting theextremities of said laterally extending sections, thereby formingarmholes in the jacket, said sections having small openingstherethrough; electrode members on the inner faces of said sections; andconnector stems extending from said electrode members out through saidopenings to the rear faces of said sections.

2. In a device of the character described: a jacket formed of elasticmaterial so that it will conform to the body of the wearer, said jackethaving a central spinal section with a relatively small upper openingtherethrough and a relatively small lower opening therethrough, a pairof shoulder sections extending from said central spinal section andrespectively having small openings extending therethrough, and a pair oflower back sections extending laterally from the lower part of saidcentral spinal section and respectively having relatively small openingsextending therethrough; electrical connector stems extending throughsaid openings; a middle trapezius electrode on the inner surface of saidcentral spinal section connected to the inner end of the connector stemwhich extends through said upper opening; a lower trapezius electrode onthe inner face of the lower part of said central spinal sectionconnected to the inner end of the connector stem which passes throughthe lower opening of said central spinal section; upper trapeziuselectrodes on the inner faces of said shoulder sections and beingconnected respectively to the inner ends of the connector stems whichpass through the openings in said shoulder sections; and infraspinatuselectrodes on the inner faces of said lower back sections and beingrespectively connected to the connector stems which pass through saidopenings of said lower back sections.

3. A device as defined in claim 2 wherein said Jacket has pectoralessections connecting the ends of said shoulder and lower back sections,small openings in said pectorales sections, stems extending through saidopenings of said pecg5 torales sections and pectorales electrodes on the2,861,744 5 6 inner faces of said pectorales sections and being OTHERREFERENCES Said last named stems- Bulletin 265A (June 20 1934) of theGeneral WILLIAM BROWNER' Electric X-Ray Corp., Chicago, page 16. (Copyis in Div. 55.) References Clted m the me of thls patent 5 Essentials ofMedical Electricity by RP. Cum- UNITED STATES PATENTS berbatch, pp.22-5-6. (Copy in Division 55.) Number Name Date 693,257 Gavigan Feb. 11,1902 1,637,829 Lurie Aug. 2, 1927 1,973,387 Neymann Sept. 11, 1934

